The United States And China Question The Meaning Of Jokowi’s ‘Hate Foreign Products’ Statement

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - The main expert from the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Dany Amrul Ichdan admitted that a number of ambassadors from importing countries such as the United States to China questioned President Joko Widodo's intentions in calling for hate foreign products.

"Friends at the American Embassy, the Chinese Ambassador, the Taiwanese Ambassador asked, 'what does it mean?' about what the President said", said Dany in a YouTube broadcast medcom id, Sunday, March 7.

Then, the presidency and the Indonesian ambassador in the country explained that Jokowi was only raising the spirit of foreign products and MSMEs. Jokowi has no intention of offending foreign countries exporting their products to Indonesia.

"I explain that this gives a domestic spirit, but not in the context of hating the country, or products from outside, it was about our awakening. So, it's internal context", he said.

Dany admitted that there would be a diplomatic impact on the international community that would occur from Jokowi's call. Therefore, Indonesian Ambassadors in all countries were asked to immediately explain Jokowi's intentions.

"This is what Indonesian diplomat friends echo, the Indonesian Embassy wherever they are, if there is a question, this is to give a heroic spirit in the country", he said.

As previously reported, President Jokowi announced that people began to hate foreign products and turn to love domestic products. This aims to increase sales from local producers in the future.

He emphasized that the love for local products will place micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in a strategic place.

Seeing the hectic public response, Jokowi explained that the statement was a natural action so that Indonesia would not only depend on imported products. So that the Indonesian people can prioritize domestically made products.

"Yesterday I told them to love Indonesian products, to be proud of Indonesian products and we may be don't like foreign products. It's okay if somebody doesn't like foreign products, right? Why are you so fussy about it?", he said at the online opening of the 2021 Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association meeting, Friday, March 5.